"On Tuesday, January 8, my father received a dispatch from the President to come at once to the White House. He went immediately and was offered the War Department. This he declined, informing Mr. Buchanan, as had been agreed upon, that at that moment he could be of no service to him in any position except that of the Treasury Department, and that he would accept no other post. The President asked for time. The following day he had Mr. Philip Thomas's resignation in his hand, and sent General Dix's name to the Senate. It was instantly confirmed."—Morgan Dix, Memoirs of John A. Dix, Vol. 1, p. 362.
[366] The plan advocated by Fernando Wood in his annual message to the Common Council, referred to on [p. 348].
[367] Morgan Dix, Memoirs of John A. Dix, Vol. 1, pp. 336, 343.
[368] Horace Greeley, The American Conflict, Vol. 1, p. 388.
[369] Ibid., p. 388.
[370] Albany Argus, February 1, 1861.
William H. Russell, correspondent of the London Times, who dined with Horatio Seymour, Samuel J. Tilden and George Bancroft, wrote that "the result left on my mind by their conversation and arguments was that, according to the Constitution, the government could not employ force to prevent secession, or to compel States which had seceded by the will of the people to acknowledge the federal power."—Entry March 17, Diary, p. 20.
[371] Horace Greeley, The American Conflict, Vol. 1, p. 394.
"When rebellion actually began many loyal Democrats came nobly out and planted themselves by the side of the country. But those who clung to the party organisation, what did they do? A month before Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated they held a state convention for the Democratic party of the State of New York. It was said it was to save the country,—it was whispered it was to save the party. The state committee called it and representative men gathered to attend it.... They applauded to the echo the very blasphemy of treason, but they attempted by points of order to silence DeWitt Clinton's son because he dared to raise his voice for the Constitution of his country and to call rebellion by its proper name."—Speech of Roscoe Conkling, September 26, 1862, A.R. Conkling, Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling, p. 180.
[372] See New York Tribune, March 23, 1861, for Field's statement in defence of his action. Also Tribune, March 7, for John A. King's charges.